Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Safe driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Safety first! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Advice about driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sitting position for vehicle occupants . . . . . . . 6
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The reasons why we should wear seat belts . . 11
How to properly adjust your seatbelt . . . . . . . . 14
Seat belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Brief introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Airbag overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Deactivating airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Transporting children safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Safety for children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Controls and displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Instruments and warning lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Dash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Control lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Multi-function display* (on board computer) . . 39
MAXI DOT* (Informative display) . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Maintenance interval display* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Steering wheel controls* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Central locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Anti-theft alarm system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Electric window opening and closing . . . . . . . . 60
Lights and visibility
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Windscreen wipers and windscreen washers . . 68
Rear vision mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Seats and head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adjusting seats and head restraints . . . . . . . . . 71
Seat functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Transport and practical equipment . . . . . . . . . 76
Practical equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Storing objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Roof rack* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Heating and air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Heating and air conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Air conditioning (manual)* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Climatronic* (automatic air conditioning) . . . . 93
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Starting and stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Brakes and brake servo systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Manual gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Automatic gearbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Run-in and economical driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Wading and driving off-road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Driver assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Braking and stability systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Parking aid* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Cruise control* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Start-Stop* System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Towing bracket device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Driving the vehicle with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Towing bracket device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Advice
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Care and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Accessories and modifications to the vehicle . 122
Care and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Checking and refilling levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Windscreen washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Wheels and tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Tyre control systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Winter service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Emergency equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Tyre repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Towing the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Emergency locking and unlocking . . . . . . . . . . 161
Changing the wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Changing bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Changing front fog light bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Changing bulbs for rear lights (in side panel) . 169
Changing rear lights (in rear lid) . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Changing bulb for the number plate light . . . . 173
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Information on fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Towing a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 3
Operation
Settings You can make certain adjustments using the
informative display. The current values are
displayed directly in their respective places
above and below the line.
The following items can be selected:
■ Language
■ MFD data
■ Time
■ Winter tyres
■ Units
■ Second speed
■ Inspec. Service
■ Factory settings
■ Back
Select the option Back
to return to the superi-
or menu level.
Language
Here the language used to display the warn-
ing and information texts can be selected.
MFD data
Here certain data shown on the multifunction
display can be switched on or off. Time
In this menu you can set, the time, the dis-
play format (24 or 12 hours) and changes
from winter to summer time.
Winter tyres
The speed at which an audible warning is
given can be adjusted here. This function can
be used with winter tyres, whose maximum
permitted speed is lower than the maximum
speed of the vehicle.
When exceeding the maximum speed the fol-
lowing is shown on the display:
Winter tyres max speed … km/h … (mph)
Units
The units of measure for temperature, con-
sumption and journey distances can be set
here.
Second speed
The second speed can be activated/deactiva-
ted in mph or km/h respectively here.
Inspection Service
Here you can choose to display the kilome-
tres (miles) and days remaining until the next
service, and reset the service interval display. Factory settings
Select
Factory setting to reset the values of
the informative display to their factory set-
tings.
Door, rear lid or bonnet open indicator If at least one of the doors, rear lid or bonnet
is open, a symbol is shown on the informa-
tive display indicating that the door, rear lid
or bonnet concerned is
open.
An audib l
e warning is also given simultane-
ously if the vehicle is being driven at a speed
higher than 6 km/h (4 mph).
Auto-check system Vehicle status
When the ignition is switched on, some vehi-
cle functions such as the condition of its sys-
tems are continually checked.
The warning messages about eventual faults
in addition to other information is displayed
on the informative display. This information
is displayed together with the respective
symbols on the informative display or by
warning lamps that illuminate on the general
instrument panel
›››
page 32 .
The option, V
ehic
le status , appears in the
menu when at least one warning message is
44
Driving
The tyre pressures should always be checked
when the tyres are cold.
Do not u
se winter tyres all year round as they
increase fuel consumption by up to 10%.
Avoid unnecessary weight
Given that every kilo of extra weight
will in-
crease the fuel consumption, it is advisable
to always check the luggage compartment to
make sure that no unnecessary loads are be-
ing transported.
A roof rack is often left in place for the sake
of convenience, even when it is no longer
needed. At a speed of 100 km/h (62 mph)
and 120 km/h (75 mph) your vehicle will use
about 12% more fuel as a result of the extra
wind resistance caused by the roof rack even
when it is not in use.
Save electricity
The engine activates the alternator, which
produces electricity. With the need for elec-
tricity, fuel consumption also increases. Be-
cause of this, always turn off electrical devi-
ces when you do not need them. Examples of
devices that use a lot of electricity are: the
fan at high speeds, the rear window heating
and the seat heaters*. Note
● If you vehicle has Start-Stop, it is not rec-
ommended t o sw
itch this function off. ●
It is recommended to close the windows
when driving at more than 60 km/h (40 mph)
● Do not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal, as the pressure can make the
p l
ate spin, more fuel will be used and it can
burn the clutch plate lining, causing a serious
fault.
● Do not hold the vehicle on a hill with the
clutch, use the foot brake or hand brake, us-
ing the latter to start. The fuel consumption
will be lower and you will prevent the clutch
plate from being damaged.
● On descents, use the engine brake, chang-
ing to the gear that is more suitable for the
slope. Fuel consumption will be “zero” and
the brakes will not suffer. Wading and driving off-road
Driving through water Fig. 94
Driving through water. To prevent the vehicle from being damaged
when driving through water (i.e. flooded
roads), please observe the following:
● Determine the depth of the water before
entering. Water can reach a maximum height
of below the door sill ››› Fig. 94 .
● Driv e at
a maximum pace of walking speed.
Driving at a higher speed can cause a wave
in front of the vehicle, which can cause water
to enter the engine air intake system or other
parts of the vehicle.
● Never stop in the water, never reverse and
never stop the engine.
● Before driving through water deactivate the
Start-Stop system ››› page 112. WARNING
● Driving through water, dirt and mud can re-
duce braking capability and prolong the brak-
ing distance – Risk of accident!
● Do not carry out any sudden or strong brak-
ing manoeuvres after driving through water.
● Clean and dry the brakes as soon as possi-
ble after driving through water by breaking
intermittently. Carry out braking in order to
dry the brakes and clean the brake discs only
if traffic so permits. Do not put other drivers
at risk. » 107Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Care and maintenance
●
The modification of the suspension of the
vehicle wheels, including the use of non-per-
mitted combinations of tyres and rims can al-
ter the operation of the airbag system and in-
crease the risk of serious or fatal injuries in
an accident.
● During all jobs on the airbag system, in ad-
dition to the removal and fitting of parts of
the system in the course of other repair jobs,
parts of the airbag system can be damaged.
Therefore in the event of an accident, this
may cause the airbags to activate incorrectly
or not activate at all. Care and cleaning
Introduction Regular and suitable care helps to
maintain
the useful life of your vehicle. This may also
be one of the requirements for upholding any
warranty claims in the event of corrosion or
paint defects.
We recommend you use cleaning products
from the SEAT Original Accessories pro-
gramme available in SEAT dealers. Please fol-
low the instructions for use on the packag-
ing. WARNING
● Cleaning products and other materials used
for car care can damage the health if mis-
used.
● Always keep car care materials in a safe
place out of the reach of children. Risk of poi-
soning!
● When washing the car during the winter
season: Moisture and ice on the brakes may
affect braking efficiency. Risk of accident!
● The ignition must always be switched off
when the car is washed. Risk of accident!
● Do not clean the underside of the car or in-
side the wheel arches without protecting your
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp metal parts!
● Perfumes and air fresheners inside the ve-
hicle may be harmful to health at high tem-
peratures in the interior. CAUTION
● Check the colour-fastness of your clothing
to avoid damaging or visibly staining the fab-
ric (leather), upholstery and fabric trim.
● Cleaning products containing solvents may
damage the material being cleaned.
● Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
Risk of damage to paintwork.
● If washing the vehicle with a hose in win-
ter, do not direct the jet of water directly at
the locks or at the door seals or bonnet. Risk
of freezing. ●
Do not use sponges for removing insects or
abrasive household sponges, etc. on painted
surfaces. Risk of damage to the painted sur-
face!
● Do not put stickers on the inner side of the
rear window in areas where heating elements
or the aerial are located. This could cause
damage and, in the case of the aerial, radio
and navigation system reception faults.
● Do not clean the inside of the window with
sharp objects or corrosive or acidic cleaning
products. Risk of damaging the heating ele-
ments or the aerial.
● Do not attach any fragrance or air freshener
to the dash panel. Risk of damage to the
dash panel!
● To avoid damaging the parking aid system
sensors, spray them only briefly at a mini-
mum distance of 10 cm when cleaning the ve-
hicle with a high-pressure or steam cleaner.
● Do not clean the roof panel with a brush.
Risk of damage to the panel surface! For the sake of the environment
● The packaging of the product used to care
for your vehicle is hazardous waste. It must
be disposed of according to current local law.
● Only wash the car in special wash bays.
» 123Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Advice
Wheels and tyres
Wheels Introduction WARNING
● During the first 500 km, new tyres do not
give maximum grip, therefore you should
drive carefully. Risk of accident!
● Never drive with damaged tyres. Risk of ac-
cident!
● Only use wheels and tyres that been au-
thorised by SEAT or your vehicle model. Fail-
ure to do so could impair road safety. Risk of
accident!
● Never exceed the maximum speed permit-
ted for your tyres. Risk of accident due to tyre
damage and loss of vehicle control!
● Under-inflated tyres are submitted to great-
er rolling resistance. This means that they
can overheat at high speeds. This can cause
tread separation and even tyre blow-out.
● For driving safety, tyres should be replaced
at least in pairs according to the axle and not
individually. The tyres with the deepest tread
should always be used on the front wheels.
● Never fit used tyres of an unknown age or
prior use.
● Tyres must be immediately changed at the
very latest when they have worn down to the
tread wear indicators. ●
Worn tyres reduce the necessary grip at
high speeds on damp surfaces. This could
lead to “aquaplaning” (uncontrolled vehicle
movement – “skidding” on damp surfaces).
● Damaged wheels and tyres must be re-
placed immediately.
● Do not use summer or winter tyres that are
more than 6 or 4 years old respectively.
● Wheel bolts should be clean and screw
easily. However, they must never be treated
with grease or oil.
● If the tightening torque of the wheel bolts
is too low, they could loosen while the vehi-
cle is moving. Risk of accident! If the tighten-
ing torque of the wheel bolts is too high, the
bolts and threads could be damaged, leading
to the permanent deforming of the rim sup-
port surfaces.
● Incorrectly handled wheel bolts could lead
to a wheel coming loose while the vehicle is
moving. Risk of accident!
● Observe the national legal requirements re-
garding the use of snow tyres and chains. CAUTION
● Where a spare wheel that is not compatible
with the wheels fitted is used, follow the in-
structions ››› page 146.
● The pr e
scribed tightening torque for wheel
bolts on steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
● Protect your tyres from coming into contact
with oil, grease and fuel.
● Replace any lost valve caps immediately. For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres increases fuel consump-
tion. Note
● We recommend having all work on tyres
and wheels carried out by an authorised SEAT
dealer.
● We recommend using wheels, tyres, hub
caps and snow chains from the SEAT Original
Accessories programme. Life cycle of tyres
Fig. 117
Side view of tyres with tread wear in-
dicators. Tread wear indicator
The base of the side of the original tyres on
your vehicle show 1.6 mm high tread wear in-
dicators
››› Fig. 117 . The position of these
144
Wheels and tyres
indicators is given on the tyre sidewalls by
the letters “TWI”, triangular symbols or other
symbols.
The useful life of the tyres depends primarily
on the following factors:
Tyre pressure values
Under-inflation or over-inflation will consider-
ably reduce the useful life of the tyres and
impair the vehicle's handling. Therefore,
check the tyre pressure, including the spare
wheel, at least once a month and before any
long journey.
Inflation pressures for summer tyres are lis-
ted on a sticker inside the fuel tank flap. The
pressures for winter tyres are 0.2 bar (2.9
psi/20 kPa) above the summer values.
Always check the pressure when the tyre is
cold. Do not reduce over-pressure in warm
tyres. The tyre pressures must be altered to
suit notable changes in the load being car-
ried.
Driving style
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking all increase tyre wear.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
Various factors encountered when driving
can cause them to become unbalanced, which results in vibration of the steering
wheel.
The wheel must be rebalanced if a new tyre is
fitted or if a tyre is repaired.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect front or rear wheel alignment cau-
ses excessive tyre wear, frequently on one
side, and also impairs vehicle safety. If tyre
wear is very irregular, contact an Official
Service.
Tyre damage
To avoid damage to tyres and wheels, only
drive over kerbs or similar obstacles slowly
and at a right angle if possible.
Check tyres and wheels regularly for damage
(punctures, cracks, blisters, deformities,
etc.). Remove any foreign objects embedded
in outside of the treads.
Unusual vibration or the car pulling to one
side may indicate that one of the tyres is
damaged.
Reduce speed immediately and
s t
op if you suspect that damage may have
occurred! Check the tyres for damage (blis-
ter
s, cracks, etc.). If no external damage is
visible, drive slowly and carefully to the near-
est Official Service and have the vehicle in-
spected. Interchanging tyres
Fig. 118
Interchanging tyres. Changing wheels around
If the wear is visibly greater on the front tyres,
they should be exchanged for the rear tyres
as shown in the diagram
››› Fig. 118 . All the
ty r
es will then last for about the same time.
To ensure that the wear is equal on all tyres
and maintain their optimum useful life, they
should be changed around every 10 000 km.
Storing tyres
When you remove the tyres, mark them in or-
der to maintain the same direction of rotation
when they are installed again.
When removed, the wheels and/or tyres
should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably
dark location. Store tyres in a vertical posi-
tion, if they are not fitted on wheel rims.
145
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Wheels and tyres
The tyre pressure of the spare wheel must be
checked (preferably whenever the tyre pres-
sure is checked – see sticker on fuel tank flap
››› page 144 ) to ensure the spare wheel re-
m ain
s ready for use.
If the spare wheel is not the same size or de-
sign as the tyres that are mounted on the car
(for example if the car has winter tyres or
tyres with direction tread), only use the spare
tyre for a short period of time in the event of
breakdown and drive with the corresponding
care ››› .
It must be replaced as soon as possible for a
wheel with a normal size and finish.
Temporary spare wheel
If the vehicle is equipped with a temporary
spare wheel, there will be a warning sign on
the rim of the wheel.
Follow the instructions below when driving
with this wheel fitted.
● After fitting the wheel, the warning sign
must not be covered.
● Do not drive faster than 80 km/h (50 mph)
with the spare wheel and take great care
while driving. Avoid heavy acceleration, hard
braking and fast cornering.
● The tyre pressure is the same as that of the
standard tyres. ●
Only use this spare wheel to reach the
nearest Official Service, as it is not designed
for permanent use. WARNING
● Under no circumstances must damaged
spare wheels be used.
● If the spare wheel is different in size or de-
sign to the tyres currently fitted, never drive
faster than 80 km/h (50 mph). Avoid heavy
acceleration, hard braking and fast cornering. CAUTION
Follow the instructions given on the tempora-
ry spare wheel label. Note
The tyre pressure of the spare wheel must al-
ways correspond to the highest pressure pre-
scribed for the model of vehicle in question. Tyre control systems
Tyre pressure* Fig. 120
Tyre pressure adjustment switch. The tyre pressure monitoring system uses
ABS sensors to compare the revolutions and
the circumference of each wheel. Should the
circumference of any wheel change, the
warning lamp on the general dash panel
››› page 38 will light up and an audible warn-
in g w
ill be heard.
Tyre circumference may change if:
● Tyre pressure is too low
● Tyre structure is damaged
● Vehicle load not evenly distributed
● wheels on one axle are subjected to greater
load, (e.g. driving with trailer, uphill, down-
hill);
● Snow chains are fitted »
147
Technical specifications
Advice
Operation
Safety
Advice
● The temporary spare wheel is fitted
● One wheel on the axle has been changed
Basic system settings
Should the tyre pressure change or if one or
more wheels are changed or the position of
the wheel on the vehicle is changed, e.g.
changing round the front and rear wheels, or
where a warning lamp lights up when driv-
ing, the system must be adjusted as follows:
● Inflate all tyres to the prescribed pressures
››› page 144 .
● Sw it
ch the ignition on.
● Hold the
››› Fig. 120 button down for
at least 2 seconds. The warning lamp will
light up when the button is pressed . The
system memory is also deleted and a new
calibration process will begin, which is indi-
cated by an audible warning and the warning
lamp switching off.
● If the warning lamp remains lit and does
not switch off, not even once the basic set-
ting process is complete, this indicates a
fault in the system. Contact an Official Serv-
ice.
The warning lamp lights up
If the pressure on at least one tyre is signifi-
cantly lower than the pressure set by the driv-
er, the warning lamp ››› will light up.The warning lamp flashes
If the warning lamp flashes, there is a fault in
the system. Contact a specialised service to
have it fixed.
WARNING
● If the warning lamp lights up, slow down
immediately and avoid any severe braking or
steering manoeuvres. Stop and check the
tyres and their pressure as soon as possible.
● Under certain conditions (e.g. sporty driv-
ing style, driving on loose surfaces or in win-
ter) the warning lamp may take a while to
light up or m
ay remain switched off.
● Despite the tyre pressure monitoring sys-
tem, the driver remains responsible for main-
taining the correct tyre pressure. You must
therefore check the tyre pressure often. Note
● The tyre pressure monitoring system is not
a replacement for regularly checking the tyre
pressure, as it is unable to recognise an even
drop in pressure.
● The tyre pressure monitoring system is un-
able to warn of a sudden drop in tyre pres-
sure, e.g. a puncture. In this case, try to stop
the vehicle carefully with no severe braking
or steering manoeuvres.
● To ensure the tyre pressure monitoring sys-
tem works correctly, the basic setting must
be performed every 10 000 km (6000 miles)
or once a year. Winter service
Winter tyres Winter tyres will significantly improve han-
dling of the vehicle in winter road conditions.
The design of summer tyres (width, rubber
compound, tread pattern) gives less grip at
temperatures below +7 °C (45 °F), on ice and
snow. This applies particularly to vehicles
equipped with wide section tyres or high
s
peed ty
res (code letters H or V on the side-
wall).
In order to preserve the performance of the
vehicle as much as possible, winter tyres
must be fitted on all four wheels, the mini-
mum depth of the tread must be 4 mm and
the maximum age must be 4 years.
You can use winter tyres of a lower speed rat-
ing if the maximum speed limit of these tyres
will not be exceeded, even if the maximum
speed limit for the vehicle is higher. For the sake of the environment
Summer tyres should be fitted again in time,
as they give better handling on roads free of
snow and ice and at temperatures over +7 °C
(45 °F). Summer tyres have a shorter braking
distance, produce less rolling noise and do
not wear as quickly. They also reduce fuel
consumption. 148